Railway-switch.



No. 891,170. PATENTBD JUNE 16, 1908 J. M. HIPP.

RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.28. 1907.

cooperative relation wit venting splitting or opening of the switch UNITED STATES, PATEN -OFFICE,

L mEs M. HIP-P, or GREENVILLE, 120mm nnnwa v-swrrcn.

. Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented-June 10, 1908.

Application and as, 1601. m5, scam.

To all whom it mayconcem: i

Be it known thetl', JAMES MJHIPP, a citizen of the United States, residing, at Greenville, in the county of Meriwetherand State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Im-- provements in Railwa -Switches, of which the following is afspec cation.

My present invention relates't'o improvements in railway switches, and it has for its object primarily to provide means for-directly locking the switch oi-n'ts ofa switch in h the adjacentrail sections for the purpose nf-positively prepoint relatively to therail section and thereinsuring a safe passage of a train or vehi- 0 cover the switch.

' preclude the ossibility of the wheel entering thedl A further bject of the invention is to pro- Another object of, the inventionnsto provide locking I I scribed that is capable of adjnstmentto compensate for -wear ofthe rail and switch point and .to enable the locking device to accommodate itself-to rails of difierentsizes, theswitch' oint in either .0886 ositively locked closed relation topthe rass o as to osed side of the switch,

vide im rov'ed operating mechanism foref fecting 5m movements 0 the the unlockingcf one switch pointand before'th'e the opposite switch point, the lockmg mechanism and oggating devices being connected so that the operations are performed in (pro I .0 or ends, the invention con- To these an sists in certain improvements, and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter more full described, the novel features beingpointe' out particularly in the I claims at the end of, the specification. I In the accompanllying drawingF' re I is a 'plan view of a re wayswitchprovi ed with locking and operating constructed in accordance wit ally of t e operating shaft; Fig. 3 is a per-. spective view ofthe operating shaft removed from the track ;.and Fig. 4 is a transverse sec-. tion through a rail section and the adjacent switch point showing the corresponding 100k? ing member for retaining the switch point and rail in closed or cooperative relation Similar arts are designated b the same reference characters inthe severe views.

' Switch mechanism constructed-in accords m'o the characterde my present invention; Fig. Z'repIresents a verticalsection taken anoperate with the respective, switch pain ance with present invention is capable of application, to railwayv switches "of various huh, and is capable of adjustmentin order to accommodate it to; tracksof various gages. In the. present instance, the invention is shownin connection'with an'ordinary crossover switch for connecting the siding rails 1 and 2, to the rails '3 and 4 ofthe maintrack, the-"switch point'5 forming a continuation of the siding rail 1 and is adapted to cooperate with the railsection 3 o themain track,

while the opposite switch oint 6 forms ,a'

I I section 4 and is adapted to move to and from oper continuation of the main r I II ative position relatively to the rail section 2., the switch points being connected as usual by or more connecting members or s rods- :7 that are rigidly vattached :to lir ith switch points and insures the ement of one mitehfilnt with rail section, i is in an'opened n permit wheel flanges vbetvieeir it and ingrailsec'tion; o 1

The devices for 10c the switch points in cooperative'relation with-their respective o th rail sections are mounted'on in-operating correspondshaft 8, the latter being provided with .jour- 9 and 10 4 which cooperate with suitablebearings ll 'an'd 12,; respectivelyth .bear-".

bein bolted or. otherwise a so as to exten transversely between-twoadjacent ties, and this-shaft maybe rotated by anysuitable means,,a lever13'bein 'shownm thepresent instance which is-iix to one end of the shaft opposite the track'and swings'in a vertical plane, a weight 14 so to retain I it in either of its two positions; e'operat infieshaft tpasses-beneaththe rails and is pro-' vi d'wi a pair of locki 16 which cooperate wit the res switch points;v These locking mem the present instance are substantially dupli' the opand have outer rail engag ng cates arrafifitedin reverse relation on out 8 shouv are or flanges 17 and 18 which are armembers 15 and r ctive ranged parallel to the plane of rotation of its.

respective member and extends a suitable distance around the 'periphe of the respec-' members are res tivel .T'hese loekili pm (is are which coalso ,provi with cam sho t8 and serve to insure movement at the la ter to 105 the sleeves, these outer shou ders or flanges being-arranged tocofiperate with the outer 'side of the continuous-rail sections 2 and 3,

fits a correspondingly shaped aperture in I present instance being; substantially square stron for effecting the shi ting movements of the notch form' 'members have been properly spaced, they directly engages the outer side of the adja-- chised position and lock them in such position. lliese cam shoulders 19 and 20, respectively, extend helically on the periph cries of the respective members in the present instance so that a rotation of theoorresponding member through an appropriate angle willcause the corresponding cam shoulder to lock its switch point and adjacent rail section 'in coii mrative relation, while a reverse rotation of the corresponding lockingmember will permit the respective switch point to leave the adjacent rail section and move into an 0 en position, In the present instance the ocki'ng andnnlucking of each switch point relative] to its adjacent rail section is accomplished y an approximate half revolution of the operating shaft, so that the respective locking members are arranged in diametrically opposite relation on the shaft, and in order to insure the properangular positioning of the locking members relatively to one another and to revent subsequent shifting thereof, it is reli rable to provide a shaft having an angu ar.cross section which each locking member, the shaft shown in'the or rectangular in cross section, so that while the members may be slid upon the shaft by a relative longitudinal movement, they cannot rotate, and in fitting the locking mechanism to tracks of different ga e, the locking members are spaced a suitable distance longitudinally of the shaft to effect the total closing of one switch point .is in ll open position, and after the are positively locked by set screws 21 and 22. Howevenan opening tendencythat may be brought to ear upon either of the switch points. will be resisted independently of the shaft, as the locking sleeve or member which is preferabl composed of a single part of met has oneflange or shoulder which direc y engages the inner side of the switch point, and another flange or shoulder which cent rail section so that neither the switch oint nor the rail section can be displaced.- aterallyuntil after the locking member has been moved into an unlocked position.

It is preferable to rovide suitable means switch rails, these movementsbein effected after one of the switch points has con unlocked and before the opposite switch point is locked, and the operating mechanism shown in the resent instance comprises a bracket 23 riii y attached to the member? connecting t e switch points and is rovided with a a pair of teet or projections 24 that continuously engage the opposite sides of a helical or s iral rib or tooth 25 formed on a sleeve 26, the latter being mounted to rotate with the operating shaft 8. This l fploint while the opposite switch= hasbeen locked in the usual way helical or spiral ear element just described is so positioned lb]! ltildinally 0f the shaft, that one of the switc 1 points is moved toward open position the moment it is unlocked by its. respective locking member that is also mounted upon and rotates with the shaft 8,

and while t iis switch point is moved toward an open position the opposite switch point is being closed, and in the present instance the shaft 27 mounted in a suitable stand 28, and t the target carrying shaft is operatively connected to the main operating shaft by means of suitable gearing such for instance as bevel gears 29 and 30. I 1

Switches equipped with locking devices constructed in accordance with my present invention insure safety to the trains passing thereover, as the appropriate switch point is firmly'forced into and positively locked in closed relation with the adjacent rail by a locking member'which directly engages the switch point and rail, and this locking member sustains all effort tending to separate the switch point and rail by a relativel lateral movement. Moreover, the switch is secure from displacement due to malicious tampering therewith, for, after the operating lever the switch point that is in closed position will be held in suchposition by the lockin member.

The operating device switch points may, if desired, be omitted, the locking members in that case effecting the necessary movements of the switch points, but it is generally preferable to use the operating device in connectionwith the locking devices, as it facilitates the movements of the switch points and also assists the locking pri narily effected the looking or shifting the I members in securing the switch points in; fully closed position, the lockin action, howing shoulders thereon arranged to cooperate respectively with a switch point and adiacent rail said member and its shoulders being bodi y adjustable axially and means for rotating said member into locked and unlocked positions.

3. In a'railway switch, a rotatably locking member having integrally formed peripher shoulders arranged to cooperate respectively with a switch point and adjacent raii, the

switch point engaging shoulder having a cam surface for moving the switch oint into engagement with said rail, said s oulders being incapable of movement with respect to one another and means for rotating said member. 4. In a railway switch, a rotatable locking member raving a pair of peripheral locking shoulders, both formed inte ally with the locking member, one of sai shoulders extending helically of the axis of said member and arrangedrto cooperate with, the switch oint to force the latter into closed osition relatively i-o the adjacent rail, sai shoul- 5 ders being incapable of movement with respect to one/another.

' 5. In arailway switch,means for looking a switch point in closed relation to its 006 61'? ating .rail, comprising a shaft exten 'ng o transversely of t era and a sleeve adjustable axially on the shaft and having a pair of e'righeral locking shoulders permanently e on said sleeve and arranged to'engage respectively the switch point and rail when the latter are in closed relation, and means for rotating the s a 6. In a railwayswitch, an operating shaft and rail, oneof said shoulders having a cam surface for eflecting a proximate movement of the switch point andrail, the shoulders on 5 onesleeve being arranged'diametrically opposite 'to those on the op osite sleeve, an means for rotating the s aft to 'efiect' the simultaneous rotation of both sleeves.

. 7,.v In a railway switch, means for locking 5Q the switch points in closed osition comprising a pair of locking mem rs having integrally connected portions arranged to directly engage the respective switch points and their cooperatin 'rail sections, and means connected to t e switch points for shifting them while one "looking, member is being unlocked and the other member is being ocked. i

' 8. In a railway-switch, means for operat- 6'0 ing and locking the switch points in closed position, comprising a shaft extending transversely of the rails, a air of locking members arranged on'the s aft and having portions arranged to directl engage the switch points and adjacent ra' sections, a helical gear element rotatable with the shaft, and a connecting member extending between the switch points and having a bracket cooperating with the helical gear element, the lockmg members being arran ed on the shaft in diametrically op osite re ation so that one member is loc ed position while the other member is in unlocked position, the helical I gear element being arranged to shift the switch while one member is being unlocked and the othermember is being locked.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribi'ng witextendin transversel of the ra ls, a pair of nesses. I

locking s eeves rotata le with the shaft, each JAMES M. HIPP.

40 sleeve having a pair of locking shoulders Witnesses: v 1 formed integrally thereon and ada ted to W. R. Jones,"

cooperate respectively with a switc point W.- C. Countess. 

